Weighing-scale.



H. 0, HEM. WBIGHING SCALE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.20, 1914.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

A T705 "Y Y im'mrok my j yzwb EALVGR O. HEM, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

wEIenIne-scnn.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

Application filed 3.1111120, 1914. Serial No..833,12.

a5; whom it may concern Be it known that I, HALvoR O. HEM, a citizen of the 'United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of J ac son and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in \Veighing- Scales; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear. and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to weighing scales, and the principal object in View is to provide an improved girder construction for the support of the load, and with particular reference to scales where these girders are of considerable length and designed for the support of heavy loads, as is the case with track scales for railroad use. \Vhcn the length of the girder is such as to require intermediate supports between its ends, it is desirable that the girder be made up in sections joined in a way which will allord a practically continuous girder, and at the same time permit suliicient flexing at its joints, when the girder is subjected to bend ing moments intermediate its ends,.so as to produce an elfect wherein therewill be no greater. reaction on the intermediate supports than if the girder were non-continuone. in the present invention, this end is accomplished by the provision of a joint of peculiar arrangement and construction, whereby the girder or beam sections are securely connected in normally substantially rigid alined relation and yet are permitted to fulcrum slightly on their supports for all beam deflections, so that the objectionable features attending a continuous and absolutely rigid girder are practically eliminated.

A. further object is to provide a girder joint which will also have the effect of stiffening the webs of the connected girder sec tions, as well as reducing any liability of the bolt connections to shearing action due to deflections in the adjoining beam sections.

It is a further object so to simplify the mode of joining the beam or girder sections that the assembly of the same in a scale pit Will be greatly facilitated.

Having the above stated general object in view, the invention will now be described in connection with the accompanying drawing showing one form of the same as embodied in practice, after which those features and combinations which are deemed to be novel will be severally specified in the appended claims.

In the drawing-Figure I is a side elevation representing a fragmentary view of a track scale, with the scale-pit shown in section; Fig. 11 is a fragmentary view on .a larger scale, illustrating the joint by which the beam or girder sections are connected; Fig. III is a section on the line III-III of Fig. II; and Fig. IV is an enlarged sectional, view, similar to Fig. III, but illustrating the strain or temporary deformation taking place in the joint as a result of deflections in the beam.

Referring to the drawing, the scale-pit 2 is represented as inclosing the load-support-- ing beams or girders, one of which is designated at 4, these beams or girders carrying the rail chairs 6 for supporting the track 8, the ends of which register in line with the ends of the track 10 projecting over the walls of the pit, so that cars 12 may be run onto the track 8 in the usual manner; Each of the load-supporting beams in the present instance is made up of a plurality of sections '14, joined together in alinement, and the ends of the beam as well as the joints between its sections are carried by supports 16, which are illustrated as partly broken away, since the particular construction of these supports or of the lever mechanism of the scale (which is entirely omitted from the drawing) forms no part of the invention.

Each of the joints between the beam sec- .tions 14 is made up of a. series of angle pieces 18 arranged preferably in pairs, and preferably one pair at either side of the beam. These angle pieces are made of comparatively light-weight material so that the joint, when nlade up, will be sufficiently flexible to -yield slightly in response to stresses transmitted thereto on account of deflections taking place in the beam between its supports. One of'the flanges of each of the angle pieces is secured by means ofbolts or rivets 20 to the end portion of one of the beam sections with the other flange of the angle piece projecting laterally away from the section at the end thereof. Between-the outer portions of the laterally projecting flanges of each pair of angle pieces on the same side of the beam may be interposed a spacing plate 22 sothat the ends of the beam sections and the opposing angle pieces will be normally slightly separated, thereby facilitating to a certain extent the necessary angular movement of the jointed terminals of the beam sections. ,Bolts 24 are preferably employed for securing together the laterally projecting flanges of each pair of angle pieces with the corresponding spacing member 22 (when used) between them.

thus reducing the reaction of the interme-' diate supports,vit is at the same time desirable to provide as still joints as practicable between the beam sections for the purpose of maintaining these sections in. perfect alinement over the supports 16, especially when the load is not svmmetrically disposed above the supports. By the use of the angle pieces 18 secured by the rivets 20 to the beam sections and having the lateral comparatively flexible flanges connected together, a joint is obtained having this efiect of'holding the beam sections normally in practically continuous alined relation, but also permitting the beam sections to deflect between the supports as required under loads, without undue reaction of the inter mediate supports 16. The enlarged detail in Fig. 4 illustrates how the laterally projecting flanges of the angle pieces how farther apart as the end portions of the beam sections swing angularly with reference to each other while fulcruming upon their supports, due to the slight deflections oi the beam-sections when subjected to bending moments. It will be seen that with this conriveted or" bolted to the ends struction of joint, the liability of any shearing of the belts or rivets 20 is greatly reduced, because of the yielding character of the connections provided by the laterally extending flanges of the angle pieces; furthermore, these flanges are of suliicient size to accommodate the necessary number of bolts 24 for holding the flanges securely together and, overcoming allshearing action between each pair of angle pieces. These sets of angle-pieces also afiord an additional sup- .port for stiffening the webs of} the beam sections at these points, and bracing the same against buckling. Thus, numerous advantages are gained .over any sectional girder constmction which makes use of flat plates of, the beam sections; such plates, moreover, having a tendency to soon become loose upon their bolts or rivets and consequently allowing more or less lost motion at the joints, but in the present construction any such tendency is practically overcome because of the fea' tures of the joint above described. It is also apparent that the simplicity. of the parts comprisingthe joints will enable the beamsections to be assembled and mounted iiLthe pit by being simply swung into alinement and secured by the bolts 24, there being no interlocking or intermeshing' parts requiring to be barefully-fitted together.

lVhile the foregoing represents what is now conceived to be the preferred form of the invention, the right is reserved to any such changes or modifications as may fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims:

1. In a weighing scale, a load-supporting beam comprising a plurality of rigid sections, and connecting elements forming joints between the ends .of adjacent sections,'said elements having outwardly extending resilient portions acting to permit slight relative angular movement between said ends while holding the latter constantly against relative vertical displacement.

2. In a -weighing scale, a load-supporting beam comprising a plurality of rigid sections, and a plurality of connecting elements forming the joint between the ends of each pair of adjacent sections and secured rigidly thereto and to each other, one of said elements being slightly resilient to permit against relative vertical displacement.

3. In a weighing scale, a load-supporting beam comprising a plurality of rigid sections, the ends of adjacent sections being connected by comparatively flexible and slightly resilient joint members acting to maintain said sections normally in substantially rigid alined relation while permitting slight relative angular movement between the sections due to deflections in the beam.

4. In a weighing scale, a load-support ing beam comprising two or more sections joined together, each of the joints between said sections comprising a series of angle pieces rigidly connected to the sections and to each other and acting to hold the sections normally in substantially rigid alined relation while permitting slight relative angular movement between theends of the secthe beam under said sections comprising a pair'of angle pieces at the adjoining ends of each pair of ing outward'from the beam and having its duter margin only secured to the outer margin only of the corresponding flangeportion of the other angle piece of the same pair.

6. In a Weighing scale, a load-supporting beam comprising a plurality of sections joined together, each of the joints between said sections comprising a pair of angle pieces at the adjoining ends of each pair of sections, each angle piece having one of its flange portions secured rigidly to the adja- ,cent beam section and its other .flange portion only secured rigidly to the correspond ing flange portion of the other angle piece of the same. pair, and a spacing member secured between the outer flange portions of each pair of angle pieces.

7. In a Weighing scale, a load-supporting beam comprising a plurality of sections joined together, each of the joints between said sections comprising a pair of angle pieces, eacl rangle piecehaving one of its flange portions secured to the adjacent beam section and its other flange portion secured at its outer margin only to the outer margin of the corresponding flange portion of the adjacent angle piece, whereby the joint between the beam sections is less rigid than said sections.

8. A load-supporting beam for scales, comprising a plurality of sections joined together, each of the joints between said sections comprising pairs of angle pieces, one pair at each side of the beam, each angle piece having one of its flange portions secured to the adjacent beam section with its other flange portion projecting laterally aii-ayntfrom the beam at the end of the section, a spacing member interposed between the laterally projecting flange portions of each pair of angle pieces on the same side of the beam, and means securing ea'ch spacing member and the corresponding flange portions together.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

v HALVOR O. HEM. \Vitnesses Orro SCHMID,

C. W. GERARD. 

